An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus is used in the medical field for diagnosing diseases in organisms (patients). In particular, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves into a subject with an ultrasound probe comprising ultrasound transducers. Following this, it receives with the ultrasound probe reflected ultrasonic waves generated by the mismatch of acoustic impedance within the subject, and images the subject's internal condition based on such reflected waves.
For an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, a one-dimensional array probe with a plurality of ultrasound transducers that are arranged in an array is used.
However, good images over a wide range cannot be obtained because although high resolution is obtained near a focal point, sufficient resolution is not obtained in areas that are away from the focal point.
Thus, a technology in which each ultrasound transducer has a different focal length, and the aperture diameter of the ultrasound transducer at the time of reception is changed depending on the focal length has been proposed.
However, this proposed technology uses ultrasound transducer arrays that are linearly aligned, and has not been considered for use in ultrasound probes with ultrasound transducer arrays that are two-dimensionally arranged.